Local residents oppose Johnny Ronan’s Appian Way tower plan

Johnny Ronan’s plans for a 10 storey over basement, 44-unit, build to rent apartment scheme on Dublin’s Appian Way is facing strong opposition from local residents.

The Upper Leeson Street Area Residents Association has lodged a 12-page objection against the Ronan scheme which is made up of 29 studio apartments and 15 one bed apartments. The scheme is planned for a 0.092 hectare site at the junction of Appian Way and Leeson Street Upper.

As the site is below the 0.1 hectare threshold for social housing provision, Mr Ronan’s firm, RGRE and J&R Valery’s Ltd is not required to provide any of the apartments for social housing.

Planning consultants John Spain & Associates, for the applicants, contend the proposal will provide “a quality build to rent residential development in an existing urban area adjoining high quality public transport”.

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Mr Spain states that the scheme design “creates a high quality feature building at this prominent corner site and key gateway to Dublin City centre”.

The Spain submission further contends that the 10 storey height “contributes to the wider streetscape and urban form of the area” and also “provides much needed accommodation in a highly accessible area well served by public transport”.

‘Simple reality’

However, Armstrong Planning on behalf the Upper Leeson Street Area Residents Association, objected to the proposed development “in the strongest possible terms on the grounds that the height, form and scale of the scheme in close proximity to the established, mainly two storey over basement residences of the immediate area, is completely out of character with the local built form and as such would militate against the principles of proper planning and development of the area”.

Armstrong Planning said the “simple realty is that the proposed tower would be visually incongruous in the existing site context”. The objection states that the height of the tower at 34.4m “is simply too high for the site in such close proximity to nearby residences”.

Armstrong Planning argue the proposal “clearly contravenes numerous policies” of the city development plan.

In a separate submission on behalf of the management company for the nearby Courtney House, Ray MacDonnell Architects state that the 10 storey over basement scheme "would appear to be an excessive development height" for the area.

A decision is on the application next month.